Destruct
by ajaegerpilot
Summary: "Don't waste your time wondering if we would've been happy," Kuvira said. "I won't," Opal replied, smiling tensely. "I already know the answer."
1. Chapter 1

174 AG

Bolin left that night. Opal and Kai headed back to their rooms mostly in silence. A family on the outskirts of the town had two empty beds so Opal and Kai had been sleeping there. By the time they got back to the house the sky was black and the home smelled like food, not like cold and dust as it had the night before. Thanking the owners and wishing Kai goodnight, Opal turned to walk into her bedroom.

As she shut the door she caught one last glimpse of the family, gathered around the kitchen table, laughing and smiling, eyes shining with a light the Air Nomads had failed to bring them. While Opal was glad that the town was safe and the people were fed, she couldn't help but be worried about the way it had been achieved. She fell onto the bed and wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the ceiling as it flickered in the candlelight.

She'd seen how hostile the Governor had been towards the army. How could he change his mind so quickly? She'd seen fear, desperation, and pride in the older man. While he was desperate for Air Nomad help she had doubted he would bend to the Earth Kingdom's military. There was another factor at play here and there was no way to find out what it was. The Governor seemed ashamed but stubborn; he wouldn't give her an honest answer.

She and Kai would probably leave tomorrow. Their job here . . . had been nullified. The State of Yi had become one more piece fitting in the puzzle of the Earth Kingdom Bolin had mentioned in one of his many letters. Opal wanted to believe in this. Kai had looked at her dubiously when she'd told him this as they'd walked back to their temporary home.

"Are you sure?" he'd asked, frowning. "You seem pretty . . . hostile towards the whole thing. I've never seen you so angry. It's not like they're doing anything bad." Opal was still a little angry with him for convincing the governor to sign the treaty, but she knew she shouldn't be since she probably would have done the same eventually.

"Yet," she'd replied, defeated. "Yet." She wanted to believe that this all was justified. She wanted her sweet, but naive, boyfriend to be on the good side. She knew Bolin enjoyed helping people as much as she did, and he was doing that. He wasn't helping everyone he could, like the Air Nomads were, but at least when he tried to help he actually succeeded.

Now, the Air Nomads were few and far between; new air benders will still being discovered and joining ranks, and all of them were still learning how to do their jobs. Armies had drills but the Air Nomads had no such luxury. There were more problems than Air Nomads to solve them, and sometimes Opal would beat herself up thinking about how Korra, a single person, had saved everyone multiple times. They were not Avatars, and Opal was sure Bolin was doing his best just like she was, he just had more resources.

And Bolin was confident in this; she'd seen his smile as he'd handed out food to the people of Yi. He'd told her multiple times how much he loved this job; he was good at it, he was helping people. His old neighborhood had been rebuilt better than it ever had been. He'd sent her photographs and it had been simple but quaint, and a far cry from the Earth Kingdom slums she had remembered.

Opal had a sneaking suspicion that if she made him choose between his job and his girlfriend . . . he wouldn't choose her. She couldn't blame him for that, it just meant that he was as confident in his cause as she was in the Air Nomads, and what good they could bring. Still, even with his confidence in the whole set-up, Opal couldn't help but doubt it. She had already seen one family torn apart by the 'Great Uniter'.

Opal, in her travels, had seen the people who were anti-monarchy, lurking in the shadows. Opal had hated the monarchy as well, but she felt that an army was not the answer. She didn't think an army was necessary at all, if people just had the aid they could protect themselves from bandits, or hell, if bandits had enough they wouldn't need to be steal.

The Earth Kingdom had been badly broken by the revolt. Food was scarce and the only useful transport system was controlled by people who were already part of the Earth Kingdom. The fallen queen had been brutal; Opal had always known this but Kai later had detailed his time in the Earth Kingdom to Opal, making the woman irredeemable. Opal had been sure that no one could be worse than the Earth Queen, at least the total chaos that the revolution had caused wasn't so cold and systematic. People were violent and greedy but they didn't have the immense power the queen had, they could be fought without having to destroy entire countries.

But then, Opal hadn't been doing a very good job at fighting the bad guys. She and Kai tried as hard as they could, but sometimes they'd end up flying to towns to find the job already done, banners proudly flying, missing Bolin by mere days. The inevitable military presence, which Opal knew was put in place to protect the people in the town, alarmed her. The kingdom didn't look united, it looked conquered.

No one else but she and the Governor seemed to feel that way, and even he had changed his mind. When she saw the Army's symbol, something that reminded her unbearably of Zaofu, rise above the state she didn't just feel disappointed for having failed the people there. She felt helpless. She felt scared. The situation was becoming one where only the army could help people, and she knew that that had never been the purpose of armies.

Bolin left before the sunset and they hadn't even said goodbye because Opal had avoided him. Would they have said goodbye even if she hadn't? Opal couldn't know. Maybe they had said goodbye the other day when she had yelled at him to leave if he was going to leave. He had left after all, and while Opal had been mostly lashing out she worried that him actually leaving was going to have consequences later on.

All the same, on a selfish level she was glad he was gone. She didn't want to talk to him. She knew he'd noticed the tension between her and Kuvira and wanted to ask her about it. They hadn't really talked much about her life in Zaofu. Honestly there wasn't much to talk about, he would've loved to listen but whenever the conversation steered to their pasts he always had something more interesting to say. Opal was the daughter of Zaofu's matriarch and she never had wanted to waste time talking about such a privileged life.

Besides, they were both more interested in the future. The future they would share with each other. Or . . . they had thought, that they'd share a future. That idea was becoming more obscure in her mind. It was just the distance, she knew that. They both knew beforehand that long distance relationships weren't easy and agreed to work on it but . . . it had been over two years. Maybe making it that long had been a success in itself, but thinking about it now she saw a flaw in their plan.

She was . . . an air nomad. She was an air nomad now, she and others just like her were travelling the world, trying to fix injustices. Opal suspected that Kai and Jinora would travel with each other when they were older, and she'd heard Kai talking to Jinora's projection the other day. But Bolin, would he ever actually have a place in her life if she stayed an air nomad? Would she have a place in his?

Tenzin had travelled a lot, and his lovely wife Pema didn't mind staying at home and taking care of the children. Would that be a kind of life Bolin would be interested in? Opal blushed. Why was she thinking about them having kids, they were just twenty years old. But it wasn't as though she couldn't imagine it happening some day. Bolin would make a great father and Opal, no, it was ridiculous to think like this. Bolin dreamt of domesticity, but he also craved adventure, he'd never be still and she couldn't blame him for that. Even now, Bolin was traveling. He was travelling with Kuvira.

Laying on her bed her thoughts had kept circling back to the older woman, stopping just shy of actual thinking about her. Kuvira, the Great Uniter. Kuvira, who'd told Opal that she was going to be her sister-in-law. Opal sat up on the bed and undid her Air Nomad uniform, getting ready for sleep. She had known Kuvira back in Zaofu. Or, she had thought she had. Kuvira was unrecognizable now.

It had been three years, maybe longer, since Opal had last spoken to her properly. Kuvira had changed a lot since that time. But then, Opal thought she'd changed as well, hopefully for the better. She was happier, having a better sense of purpose. Kuvira seemed like she'd found her purpose as well, 'uniting' the Earth kingdom. But, she didn't seem happier.

In a glance Kuvira seemed the same - enigmatic, serious, slightly amused at best. But now, she seemed more lethal. Her long braid wrapped in a bun, her sharp face made sharper with harsh expressions, Kuvira's entire presence was angular and authoritative. But she could make her voice smooth as ever, a gentle tone Opal had felt when she was younger was reserved only for her. She guessed Kuvira spoke to Opal's brother that way. If she did, Opal couldn't blame Baatar for following her.

But he wasn't just following her, he was marrying her. Baatar was marrying Kuvira."You haven't heard?" Kuvira had asked, her voice light but her words were weighted. Thinking back on it Opal felt like Kuvira had been mocking her. "Your brother and I are getting married." Opal's mind had blanked. Bolin tried, and failed, to diffuse the situation in the background. And suddenly Kuvira's hand was on Opal's shoulder. She hadn't touched her since . . . had Kuvira ever touched her like that?

Her mouth was in a gentle smile, not exactly sad but there was something else there. She seemed earnest, and her gaze on Opal felt soft. Opal refused to look at her. "I know things got heated with your family when Baatar and I left Zaofu," Kuvira murmured. "But don't you think it's time to forgive, and forget?" And for a moment, with the feeling of Kuvira's warm hand on her shoulder, she'd wanted to.

"What are you doing here?" the governor's voice had snarled from behind them. Opal and Kuvira turned to look.

"Hello Governor," Kuvira said after a moment, her voice suddenly very cold. Chills prickled up Opal's spine against her will. Glancing back at Kuvira she saw someone she couldn't match up with the gentle, cajoling voice she'd heard seconds before. "I was wondering if you and I could talk, privately." And they did. And they failed to come to an agreement but by the end he'd had no choice. He'd bowed to Kuvira, and pledged his loyalty to her.

While she felt guilty for not succeeding in saving this town without anyone else's aid she felt even more confused about what had happened in those three years. Why had Baatar left? How had Kuvira rise from her position as the guard captain at Zaofu to being the Great Uniter? Why was Bolin walking around with hair so stiff and lifeless and speaking Kuvira's words? Without realizing it Opal had almost started crying. What had happened? Who had they all become?

These last three years her mind had been darting around those questions. It was easier to do that when she there were hundreds of kilometres between her and the people she cared about. It wasn't so easy when she'd seen three of them in one day, and they all had turned away from her. When Opal finally fell asleep, tears sticking her hair to her cheeks, she dreamt about Zaofu. She wanted Bolin to be on the good side, but despite knowing better she wanted the same for Kuvira.


	2. Chapter 2

169 AG

When Opal first met Kuvira she was fourteen. Kuvira was around the age Opal was now, and just another guard in Zaofu. Opal tried her best to learn everyone's names so she could say hi, but it was easy not to notice a newcomer when the uniforms were identical and obscured everyone's faces. She might have seen Kuvira before, but she couldn't remember her.

She was sitting in front of the grand stage that her mother's dance recital was being held on. She sat strategically in the middle of the room where she had a good view but was far enough from the action to feel comfortable. From this distance she noticed an unfamiliar form dancing with her mother's troupe. Opal sat up higher in her seat and squinted, trying to get a better look.

"Her name is Kuvira," Aiwei spoke up from beside her. Opal looked at him, flushing. She must've really been staring. Suyin had succeeded in not only wrangling all her offspring into watching her dance recital, including Opal who had yet to miss a single performance, but she'd convince Aiwei to attend as well. "She's a guard," he explained.

"Oh," Opal said, glancing at the stranger again. Back then Kuvira wore her hair down her back in a long, thick braid, and even from a distance Opal had caught the mole beneath the woman's right eye. Opal normally didn't pay attention to faces of the dancers but this person always looked like she was biting back a grin. Everyone else had schooled expressions but Kuvira looked like she couldn't help but smile.

"Sorry, yeah, I've just . . . never seen her before," Opal explained.

"She's not a guard on the estate," Aiwei went on, content to relay all his knowledge. He watched the dancers with a slightly bored expression but he had come and they both knew Su appreciated it. "However, you probably have seen her around the city. It's just that people are rarely recognizable when they take their armour off." He was probably right.

Opal turned back to look at the stranger. She did seem vaguely familiar, and she had the right build for a guard. Not many of the dancers on her mother's troupe were guards, but a few were. Suyin taught some dance classes and had some tryouts every couple of years or so. Kuvira was a little younger than the rest of the dancers, but not by much. Maybe it was the fact that she was new that made her seem different, less practiced but more passionate.

Opal leaned back in her seat and looked at her mother's advisor. He was watching the dance now. "When did she join?" Opal asked, if just to keep some conversation alive. Aiwei was kind of prickly, but she enjoyed talking with him when he did talk. "I haven't seen her around the estate."

"She's filling in for another dancer who injured her ankle," Aiwei explained. "And at this rate, she might replace her. She dances well." Opal looked at him with wide eyes, then back at Kuvira. The stranger moved like benders moved; she was in her element and she worked smoothly with everyone else. Her barely being able to stifle her smile made her even more enjoyable to watch.

"Yeah," Opal said, but she didn't really know anything about dancing. None of the Beifong kids could dance, much to Suyin's regret and not from a lack of trying. But even Opal could tell that Kuvira was an amazing dancer and that she pretty much stole the show. Opal had a feeling she would see Kuvira again if she knew anything about her mother.

When the recital finally concluded everyone applauded and the dancers bowed graciously. Suyin positively glowed with pride. Even though Opal couldn't care less about dancing this was why she'd always attend. Her mom's happiness was something that would make the whole show worth it even if Suyin somehow didn't always design something worth watching. Opal always loved the recitals.

A short-haired pale dancer tossed the new dancer a bottle of water and grinned at her. Seeing this Suyin seemed to remember something. Stepping up to the front of the stage she smiled at her audience.

"Thank you, everyone," she said. Wing and Wei hooted in the audience and Suyin laughed. When the smatterings of chuckled abated she spoke again. "Thank you, for being an amazing audience. Unfortunately one of our dancers was injured. She's fine, and will always have a spot on our troupe. But I would also like to thank our new dancer, Kuvira, for stepping up and filling in for her. So, please, a round of applause."

Kuvira grinned, flushed and sweating under the spotlight. The dancer that had tossed her the bottle pulled at her arm laughing as everyone applauded. Opal clapped until her hands stung. Suyin thanked everyone again and they piled out of the theatre. Opal remembered how Kuvira's smile was still fresh in her mind as she left the theatre. Palms still tingling, she could remember hoping that she would see her again.

And she did.

Suyin's studio was on the opposite side of the estate from where Opal usually spent her time. The weather in Zaofu was nice almost all year round and Opal preferred reading outside. She rarely hung around the dance studio though so while she knew Kuvira was there she never sought her out. In fact, when she did meet Kuvira again, truly meeting her this time, she didn't recognize her at all.

Opal was coming back from the kitchen; Chef had prepared her raw veggie wraps and she was still internally singing him praises. She was rounding a corner when she caught sight of a strange face. It was unusual for there to be a new guard on the estate, so she looked at Kuvira in confusion and wondered why they looked familiar. While Opal had been staring at Kuvira, trying to remember where she'd seen that mole before, she accidentally made eye contact with the guard.

"Do I have something on my face?" Kuvira asked in a deep, throaty voice. Opal realized at that moment who they were, a dancer on Suyin's troupe that she'd seen at a few recitals since the first one.

"Ah, no," Opal said, clasping her hands in front of her in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I was just wondering I knew you or not."

"I'm Kuvira," the guard said, smiling lightly.

"Oh, I know," Opal said. She blushed when she realized what she said. "I mean - I -"

"Suyin's advisor must have told you," Kuvira inferred. Opal blushed burned hotter. "It's fine; I know who you are." Kuvira would've been a pretty terrible guard if she didn't know who Opal was, so while she appreciated the sentiment it didn't really apply.

"I - uh -" Opal fumbled, feeling too embarrassed to look Kuvira in the eye.

"I saw you in the audience, once," Kuvira said, taking pity on Opal's awkwardness. "At one of the performances."

"Yeah," Opal said, looking up again. She was surprised that Kuvira had noticed. "I always go to my mother's recitals."

"Do you dance too?" Kuvira asked, seeming interested.

"Oh," Opal mumbled, blushing viciously. "I'm not a dancer. None of us are. Dad says that mom kept all the talent for herself." She laughed awkwardly.

"Have you ever bothered being taught?" Kuvira asked.

"No," Opal said, standing up straight. "Mom tried, when I was younger. It was - a mess."

"Maybe you just didn't find the right teacher," Kuvira suggested, smiling softly. Opal had always had the best teachers, and she still couldn't dance. She shrugged.

"You like dancing," she observed, still a little nervous.

Kuvira grinned. "That's a fair observation," she said. A little conspiratorially she murmured, "It's my favourite hobby, next to bending. It's similar to bending, actually. It's listening to your body and finding a rhythm. From there, you can only get better."

"I can't bend yet," Opal murmured, smoothing down her dress.

"Ah," Kuvira said, leaning back and looking regretful. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean . . ."

"Oh!" Opal said. "No, that's okay, you can talk about bending." She smiled at Kuvira. "But I, mean I guess I better let you get back to your duties anyway." She didn't want to bully Kuvira into talking to her but she was young and couldn't help but be greedy. "I didn't know you were a guard here."

"I started yesterday," Kuvira said. "To be honest, the reason Suyin brought me here is mostly to cut down on commuting time to dance rehearsal." Opal laughed.

"I'll see you," she said, starting to move on.

"Goodbye, Opal," Kuvira said. Opal continued back to her room with the new knowledge that Kuvira was now an actual guard at the Beifong estate. Suyin had apparently grown to trust her the way she made sure she trusted all of the guards that worked directly for her. And Kuvira had been nice; friendly and funny and genuine, and this perfection intimidated Opal in the best possible way.

174 AG

Opal wondered now if it had been an act even back then. She knew, in her heart, that it hadn't been but Opal felt depressed and glum. Somewhere along the lines Opal had stirred from her dreams and was lying on the bed, not asleep but not awake. The sun was falling though the window and the warmth that hit her bare skin was hardly comforting.

Towards the end . . . before the Red Lotus had destroyed the Earth Kingdom . . . she and Kuvira had almost been friends. She'd looked up to the woman with a sort of pathetic pet-like admiration that made her ashamed now. She was ashamed that she didn't see who Kuvira was, but, thinking about it she couldn't really blame herself for that, or even Kuvira. Kuvira had seemed so genuine back then, she was a completely different person now and Opal felt like she'd lost someone.

Opal viewed the noon light on the ceiling. She didn't normally sleep in so late. Sleeping too much made her feel groggy and useless, but she was already useless and the dead-mouthed depression that came with grogginess felt almost justified. She heard some clattering in the kitchen outside her room, some low voices brushing against each other. She listened to the voices and pitied herself.

"Hey Opal!" Kai's voice was muffled behind the door. Opal snapped out of it and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah?" she mumbled, voice thick from sleep.

"Someone's here to see you," he said. He sounded tense.

"Who is it?" Opal asked, wrapping her blankets around herself. The door opened and Opal's heartbeat stuttered. Kuvira walked into the room.


	3. Chapter 3

170 AG

Peering through the window Opal could see the reflections of orange candlelight against the gloss of metal. She was sitting on a windowsill in a rarely traversed corridor on the estate. She'd crept away from the party and was effectively hiding from her mother. She had a book in her hands but felt too guilty to read it.

She couldn't really see the partygoers from this angle and height above the grounds, but she knew they'd probably noticed she was gone by now. It was her birthday after all. Opal just didn't like parties that much. Every year she'd bear with it but this year, maybe with some sort of newfound fifteen-year-old rebelliousness, she'd sneaked away.

What had made this birthday a little less than bearable was the fact that Suyin had invited several boys that Opal decidedly had not. It wasn't that her mother was trying to set her up with boys she'd deliberated were worthy, but it wasn't as though she wouldn't protest if Opal turned out to like one of them. There wasn't any pressure on Opal to go along with it but it was still too much for Opal to deal with.

Her mother had circulated around the party, glowing as usual, every now and then to look at Opal with wide eyes while jerking her head at the various boys Opal's age. It was kind of embarrassing even though no one else really noticed. Beifong's weren't known for their subtly, at least amongst eachother.

Really what made Opal run for it was the fact that her mother wanted her to dance with the boys she'd invited. Dancing wouldn't have been a big deal, if Opal could actually dance. Opal really couldn't dance to save her life. It wasn't that she was clumsy but she was too timid to properly move with another person. She was too afraid of dancing poorly to dance well, and since she didn't want to embarrass herself she avoided dancing altogether which guaranteed that she wouldn't improve.

She was grateful when Wing accidently bumped into and knocked over Huan's delicate yet disturbing sculpture, and took the following drama as her chance to get away. Most of the guards had the night off; Opal always wanted them to celebrate on her birthday and it incidentally worked out in her favour in this situation. She snuck away with relative ease since only a few of the most responsible guards will still on duty. Even from up here she could hear the boisterous laughter of a few of the tipsier guards. It made her smile.

Still, she wondered if it was worth it. Her mother wouldn't bring it up but she'd probably glare at Opal a little over breakfast. Whether she'd try to pull the same thing next year Opal really couldn't say for sure. They were nice guys, kind of. They were all Zaofu boys, not necessarily wealthy, not necessarily poor. All were talented and intelligent, and she'd seen them around and talked to most of them. But honestly, choosing between them and a good book? No contest.

Opal opened her book and set it in her lap, creasing the pages flat and staring. She still felt kind of guilty though. Her mom had probably noticed her absence by now and she could only hope that she hadn't made her worry. Sneaking away really wasn't worth the trouble. Opal sighed out loud.

"So this is where you've been hiding," a voice, rich with a grin, spoke up from behind Opal. Opal turned around, fear squeezing her throat, but when she recognized the person walking towards her it let go.

"I'm not hiding," Opal mumbled, a little embarrassed. "I'm just . . . taking a break."

"Long break," Kuvira smirked a little. She was wearing her guard's uniform, but she'd taken off her helmet. It was dark in this corridor other than a small lamp Opal had lit up to keep her company. She didn't want to attract too much attention, but obviously it gave off enough light for Kuvira to find her. The reflection of flame in the lamp flickered in Kuvira's eyes.

"Are people looking for me?" Opal asked guiltily.

"Just me," Kuvira assured her. "Your mother just wanted me to check up on you and bring you back." Opal nodded. She felt a sudden rush of gratefulness towards her mother because she knew that she wouldn't try this again next year.

Suyin meant well; she wanted Opal to find someone in Zaofu and Opal ideally wanted that as well but she'd probably read too many books. They left her longing for something big. She didn't need to leave home to have an adventure but she at least wanted the adventure of falling in love.

Regardless of her intentions, her mother's interference would just spoil any potential for honest romance. Judging by her reaction tonight Suyin had realized this. She still wanted Opal to come back to the party though, which was completely understandable and fair but Opal didn't want to go back just yet. Kuvira seemed to notice this.

"Nice spot," the metalbender began conversationally. Opal nodded meekly, taking it as permission to stay awhile. Kuvira claimed the seat across from the window, propping her legs up on the sill next to where Opal was sitting. She rested her helmet in her lap and turned her head to look idly out the window into the night.

Kuvira seemed to be one of the few guards that hadn't been given a night off. In the time between meeting Kuvira and Opal's birthday Kuvira had gotten higher and higher prestige in the Beifong household. Kuvira was still a dancer on Suyin's troupe, getting more polished by the day. Between being a guard and rehearsing dancing, she and Opal had run into each other more often.

Opal tried to be friendly with all the guards but she wanted something more with Kuvira. She didn't seek Kuvira out or anything, but she had to admit she didn't avoid her and she felt like they'd actually built . . . something. That something being the fact that Opal enjoyed running into Kuvira and Kuvira didn't seem annoyed by it.

Opal liked herself and who she was becoming, but she also really looked up to Kuvira and Kuvira was a lot of things Opal was not. Kuvira was down-to-earth but also impossibly refined and talented. Opal couldn't help but admire her.

If there was one trait that allowed you to flourish in Zaofu it was determination to improve for the sake of yourself and Kuvira was no exception. Suyin trusted Kuvira enough to locate Opal on the estate, and Suyin prided herself on knowing her people. Realistically, Kuvira probably had flaws but Opal hadn't found any evidence so far.

"So how old are you this year, Opal?" Kuvira asked, speaking up all of a sudden.

"I'm -," Opal's voice skipped. She tried again, making her voice stronger. "I'm, fifteen." She wavered on the last syllable and Kuvira chuckled.

"Any particular reason you left your fifteenth birthday party?" she asked.

"Ugh," Opal mumbled, putting her hands over her burning cheeks. "My mom wanted to me to dance with some boys."

"I was wondering why I hadn't seen so many new faces at the estate before," Kuvira said.

"That would be why," Opal sighed.

"It can't be that bad," Kuvira said. "Some boys are nice." Opal must have made a weird face because Kuvira laughed.

"It's true," she insisted. "They're rare, and you're rarely introduced to them by your mother, but they're out there."

"Yeah," Opal said, eyes wide. "Every single one of them. In the courtyard." Kuvira grinned. "I don't even know most of them," Opal went on. "I've seen them around but . . . I don't even know some of their names. I mean, I can appreciate what my mom is doing but . . ." her voice trailed off. "I'm really an awful dancer."

"That's the problem?" Kuvira asked. Opal shrugged. "I could teach you," Kuvira offered. "I'm nowhere near as good as your mother, but I can dance pretty well." Opal knew that.

"Oh no," Opal said, cheeks burning. "You don't have to." Kuvira only got more insistent.

"I want to," she said. "No one learns better than the teacher, you'd be doing me a favour." Opal shook her head, almost chuckling. No way was she dancing in front of someone as cool as Kuvira, even if Kuvira actually wanted her to. "I'm sure you're not that bad."

"Oh," Opal said, choking. "I am that bad, believe me." She caught Kuvira's eye and said decidedly, "Anyway, I really don't feel like embarrassing myself in front of anyone on my birthday." Kuvira grinned.

"Suit yourself," she said. "Some other time?"

"No way," Opal said. "Maybe." Kuvira laughed.

In a more serious voice she said, "I'm sure that if the boys at the party passed your mother's inspection they wouldn't mind being turned down to dance anyway. Maybe you can head down, make some new friends." Opal didn't want to say that she'd rather spend her time with Kuvira because she still wanted to sound like she was totally in control of her feelings here. It was obvious at least that she'd rather sit in the dark with a book then dance with some boys.

"This is the last book in a series," she shrugged, holding it up and pouting a little. Kuvira chuckled.

"Would you rather she invited girls for you to dance with?" she asked, grinning wickedly. Opal was sure she'd misheard her.

"You mean my friends?" Opal asked. To be completely honest Opal didn't have that many friends of any gender, but she did have more female friends. Kuvira raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?" she blurted after Kuvira didn't say anything. Kuvira only smiled at her and waited.

"I . . ." Opal hadn't even realized that it was an option. But it was a fair proposal and Opal sat back and thought about it for a moment. "No," she said at last. "Being with my friends is fine, but if there's going to be romance . . . I want to at least pretend that it was my own idea."

"Fair enough," Kuvira said. "But from what I've heard about love, it's never really your idea in the first place." Opal was a romantic even while she knew nothing about love itself. Kuvira seemed to be choosing her words in a way to dart around the topic as well.

"Have you ever been in love?" Opal asked.

Kuvira seemed surprised at the question. "Probably not," she after a moment. "I've loved and I've had partners. Sometimes I loved my partners but I don't think I've ever been in love. I'm probably not the best person to give you advice in this area." Kuvira's fringe fell over her eyes and she looked down at the floor, one arm slung around the chair's arm. The light of the lamp flickered on her serious face. The warm air pooled into the room and Opal could swear she felt a breeze.

She turned her gaze from the guard and looked out the window, down on the twinkling lights of the party. Opal liked Kuvira giving her advice but she didn't know how to say that. She heard laughter down below. The party went on as she and Kuvira sat in silence. "I still can't bend," she said in an almost inaudible voice.

Opal saw Kuvira look up in her peripheral vision. "There were rumours," she trailed off. People had suspected, just like Opal had, that she would never be able to bend. Opal had heard the rumours as well.

"I thought maybe when I turned fifteen I'd finally be able to," Opal said, opening her palms to the ceiling. "But it doesn't seem like it ever will."

Kuvira watched Opal for awhile then remarked shrewdly, "You don't seem too torn up about it."

Opal bit her lip. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell Kuvira. "Do you remember Amon? From Republic City."

"You mean Noatak, son of the crime lord Yakone?" Kuvira asked. Another rumour spreading around was that Kuvira was poised for the position of Guard Captain in Zaofu. Opal didn't doubt it.

"Yeah," she said. "I know Avatar Korra was against the Equalists but . . . I really thought the nonbenders were justified with what they were doing. I - I understand that benders have a - special bond with their ability, and Noatak shouldn't have taken it away from them, but it's not as though the benders in Republic City could handle not abusing their power over nonbenders."

"I know there's a nonbender president now," she sighed. "But having a nonbending leader doesn't sound like it would be enough to fix everything." Opal had never been hurt a day in her life but she knew from observation that when people could get power from hurting weaker people it was a tough drug to quit. "He's visited Zaofu a few times."

"I know," Kuvira said. "He seems like someone so pleased to find himself in his position that he'll forget to fight for those who aren't." Opal nodded, Kuvira had described Opal's thoughts exactly. Opal respected him as a nonbender who against all odds had gotten elected by a bender-majority but she couldn't trust him. He seemed too polished to protect people when they needed protecting. You could be diplomatic in ways that went beyond official visits.

Opal self-consciously played with a metal bracelet and went on as Kuvira politely heard her out. "It's obvious that people who can't bend are at a disadvantage to people who can bend but . . . there's so much of an emphasis on the benefits of bending that people don't see the problems it can cause. I'm not saying I was ever hurt like the people in Republic City were," Opal said, cheeks flushed. "But I guess . . . I'm glad I'm not a bender."

She glanced at Kuvira whose face was composed but alert, listening. "If I was a bender," Opal explained. "I wouldn't have cared about what was going on in Republic City. At the time people would be talking about how they should just put all the nonbenders in jail and then I'd walk into the room. They'd stop, but just because I'm a nonbender and the matriarch's daughter. I'm glad I can't bend because if I could I would've been just like them."

She pressed her fingers to burning her cheeks and looked out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the party beyond the lit orbs of light, determined not to look at Kuvira. The woman remained unmoving in Opal's vision. "You wouldn't have been like them," Kuvira said, voice sounding sure. "You still would've cared, Opal. It's who you are."

Opal looked back at Kuvira who was watching her softly, gaze flickering in the candlelight. "Maybe it would've taken you longer, but you would've gotten there eventually." Her voice was gentle and face almost sad. "Preferring understanding people's suffering over bending is something very noble. Something rare. You're a good person, Opal."

Opal looked down at her lap. "Thanks," she murmured. She could hardly breathe.

Kuvira looked thoughtfully up at Opal, setting her legs on the floor and leaning forward. "Did you get any gifts you liked tonight?" Opal was grateful for the lighter topic.

"I didn't look at them yet," Opal said. "I'll probably like them all."

"What kind of gift would you really like?" Kuvira asked playfully, ushering the conversation along in lighter direction.

"I don't really need anything, Opal replied.

"None of us really need anything in Zaofu," Kuvira coaxed. "So come on. What would you like?" Opal smiled.

"Honestly?" she asked. Kuvira nodded. "I'd like to go out of Zaofu for awhile," she shrugged. It was a bit of a boring wish but it was the truth. "It's tradition in my family to go on a hike a couple of times a year, but no one wants to hike out with me otherwise. They wouldn't let me hike alone and I'd feel guilty to make a guard come with me."

"You want to go hiking?" Kuvira asked.

"It's the only time I've ever been outside Zaofu," she said. "I'm just . . . curious. I want to know what it's like out there. I don't need to go to another city but I'd like to explore a little. I can see why they wouldn't let me go alone though. Since I really can't bend, I really am . . ." Opal swallowed and didn't finish her own sentence.

Kuvira seemed dissatisfied that Opal was getting distracted and sad with her own vulnerability. "I'll take you out of Zaofu sometime," she said. "How's that?" Opal felt kind of awkwardly happy and grinned in response. Kuvira got to her feet, stretching a little. "Want to head back to the party?" she asked, eyes soft on Opal.

"Alright," Opal said. She forgot the book on the windowsill when she left to rejoin the party. No one but Suyin and perhaps Aiwei had noticed her absence. Kuvira patrolled the grounds and Opal danced, badly, with a friend on Suyin's troupe. The next morning Opal's book had been returned to her, resting on her pillow. Opal finished it in one sitting.


	4. Chapter 4

174 AG

"I couldn't just leave with you still angry with me," Kuvira said, pacing into Opal's bedroom. Opal was only wearing her undershirt and a blanket but Kuvira didn't look. Instead she walked over to the window and opened it, almost like she was putting her own personal touch on something that had been Opal's for the past few days.

"We're going to be family soon," Kuvira said, turning her head to look at the airbender. Her dark green eyes caught the light and Opal had to glance away, tugging the blanket closer around her. "So I want us to be on at least civil terms when Baatar and I marry."

This was all too invasive and sterilized. Opal hated it, but she didn't let it show.

"I'm not angry with you," she said, getting off the bed, her blanket sliding to drape around her waist. "I don't trust you. There's a difference."

Kuvira looked at her. "I don't think in this case there is any." Opal flushed.

"Turn around," she barked, holding up her Air Nomad bodysuit. Kuvira turned around, crossing her arms behind her back so each hand clasped on her opposite elbow. Opal's sleepy self-pity was boiling into righteous anger that woke her up and made her anxious and sick.

And yes, she was angry. Kuvira, and probably anyone, could see that easily. Opal couldn't help it. She hid her shaking hands as she stepped into her suit and zipped it up. Kuvira was right. Opal was pissed that she couldn't trust whoever the hell this was. She wasn't mad for the sake of being mad and her anger didn't mean her distrust was inauthentic or unjustified.

"Where's Bolin," she asked, trying to keep her voice controlled but it just came off edgy.

Kuvira sighed. "He and Baatar are travelling to the next town to replenish supplies. I came here with my own train car. I won't stay long, but I'd like to talk." She frowned. "If that's alright," she added, voice softer.

Opal looked at her, and sat on the bed, resting her elbows on her knees. "I guess," she said, but she didn't speak any more. She fiddled with her hair self-consciously as she waited for Kuvira to speak.

"It's been a long three years," Kuvira began. "A lot has changed."

"I'll say," Opal snorted.

"Opal, please," Kuvira said. Glancing up at the taller woman Opal saw that Kuvira looked genuinely distressed. Kuvira didn't speak for awhile, instead she slid off her gloves and placed them in a pocket on her uniform. When Opal finally began to look away that's when Kuvira chose to start speaking.

"When I left Zaofu I was angry," she confessed. "I was angry at your mother. I guess I still am. This job, uniting the people in our land, it shouldn't have been mine. She almost single-handedly created Zaofu, a city where every single citizen can do more than just survive, but can attain their highest potential. When the monarchy fell I was, and so many other people were, convinced that your mother would step up and lead us."

"She didn't want to seize power, like you did," Opal said, getting to her feet, prepared to fight for her mother. Kuvira didn't go on the defensive.

"I'm only the interim president until Prince Wu comes of age," Kuvira reminded her. "Which isn't that long now." Opal's face made it clear that she wasn't buying everything Kuvira was selling. "Besides, assuming I did take the power, if it wasn't me someone else would have. And their goals would not have been as charitable as mine."

Opal knew that someone else would've seized power but Kuvira was being deliberately vague underneath her inspiring rhetoric. "What are your goals?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"I want all of us to be united," Kuvira said softly, walking over to Opal and keeping eye contact with her. "All of us. I want to give every Earth citizen the opportunities you and I had. I can't do that right now, just as the Air Nomads can't help every single person right now. All we can do at the moment is make sure that our people are safe and fed, but eventually I plan to do better than that."

"And I know it may not seem like it," she went on. "But I need your help for this. The next few months are going to be like nothing we've ever dealt with before. Other countries and nations will want to interfere with the Earth Kingdom, and they could damage us just as surely as the Earth Queen did."

"Are you asking me to pledge my loyalty?" Opal asked through gritted teeth.

"No, Opal," Kuvira said. "I'm asking you, for these next few months, to really think what you want for this country. Even if you're an Air Nomad now, it should be just as important to you that things here are balanced so that we all can live instead of just survive."

"And I want," Kuvira said. "I do, really, want you on my side. I know you believe, like your mother, that I seized power for selfish reasons. All I want is to give our people stability and progress, if they didn't want me to do it I wouldn't be here right now."

"I don't think they have as much of a choice as you say they do," Opal said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I heard you're putting your dissenters in prison camps." Kuvira's jaw dropped in shock.

"Opal!" she said, eyes flashing with hurt. "Those rumours aren't true! I know a lot has changed in the three years we didn't see each other but they haven't changed that much." Opal felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't seen any evidence of prison camps after all, maybe Kai was right and Opal was overreacting.

It didn't matter. Kuvira had placed her hands on either side of Opal's body, coaxing her attention back to the metalbender. "Listen, in the end - I want what you want. We have to make sure that whatever happens next that we fight for our people. The way I came into power may have been unorthodox, and I didn't believe I was the best person to do it at the time, but I made it my job, my duty, to fight for the needs of the people. I want to go beyond those needs some day."

Her hands squeezed Opal's upper arms reassuringly. Opal didn't know if she'd ever seen Kuvira not wearing some type of glove, or bandage binding. Her palms were soft and warm on the fabric of Opal's suit. Her eyes were bright and focused on Opal. Opal suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia, the same feeling she'd fought back a few days ago when she and Kuvira had seen each other again.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Opal asked, voice wavering dubiously.

"Yes," Kuvira said, softly but insistently. "Absolutely. I know Suyin, and the Air Nomads, have their own biases just like I do. I blamed Suyin for not assuming a position she didn't want, and her son left her to follow me. There isn't an airbender in my army, that I know of, so I'm sure you've heard more rumours than facts. I'm just glad you gave me this chance to explain myself." Opal nodded at Kuvira, looking her in the eye.

"And Opal, the other reason why I came." Kuvira smiled at her, body relaxed now. "The wedding - I'd love for you to attend." Oh, that was right. Kuvira was engaged to Baatar.

"Of course I'd come to Baatar's wedding," Opal said, her voice punched out of her. Kuvira took no notice. She put her hand on Opal's cheek and smiled at her, the smooth, uncalloused skin burning Opal's cheeks. In the pit of her stomach Opal felt disappointment grow like a retch. Kuvira had never touched her like this, so warmly and so calculatedly.

"Thank you, Opal," Kuvira said, face softening with sincerity.

"You're manipulating me," Opal realized out loud, trying to remind herself more than anything. Kuvira smudged her thumb across Opal's cheek, and Opal could feel a blush burning wherever she touched. Opal's legs felt like they would give out. Kuvira's expression was still soft, her eyes darting across Opal's face like she was memorizing it.

"No, Opal, I really do want you to come," she said with her gravelly voice. She moved closer to Opal, her free hand landing lightly on Opal's hip, barely touching her. She waited until Opal would look her in the eye and then smiled a little, eyes wide and earnest, but entirely too calm. Kuvira was imitating herself so perfectly that Opal wanted to sob.

"You're manipulating my brother," she said fiercely, ripping Kuvira's hand from her cheek and gritting her teeth. "You're manipulating my family, my kingdom, you're manipulating my boyfriend." Kuvira's face soured, and she stepped back from Opal. Opal almost stumbled but caught herself; she looked after Kuvira in desperation.

"Believe what you want," Kuvira said, breaking character. Her tone was venomous. "I'm doing what I think is best for the kingdom, we all are. And don't tell me you believe that the Earth Kingdom is your kingdom." Opal gaped at her Kuvira turned around, almost smirking at her silence.

Kuvira suddenly changed pace, haughtiness turning into anger. "I wish you and the other Air Nomads well - patching bandages on a gaping wound, but I'm performing surgery. I don't have time for silly games; I don't have time for manipulation. So believe what you want, Opal."

Then she broke off, her voice softer, regretful. "I only wish you would find it in you to forgive me, for whatever wrong I committed." She turned to go. Opal knew enough to see that wasn't how you asked for an apology. Kuvira's soft words had confused Opal, and her about-turn gave her whiplash but she wasn't about to back down.

"I still don't trust you," she spat after Kuvira. "I don't trust who you are. I don't know if I never knew exactly who you were but now I know I have no idea."

Kuvira whirled around, furious and frustrated, "Then why do you assume the worst of me? Do you have any evidence that I'm doing anything wrong? I'm uniting the kingdom; I'm bringing people food, and protection -"

"Only when they pledge their loyalty to you!" Opal yelled.

"We don't have the resources to give supplies to anyone but our people," Kuvira responded, a practiced lie.

"Why are you saying 'we'?" Opal said. Kuvira's mouth opened, then shut. "When you get people to pledge their loyalty - they don't pledge their loyalty to the Earth Kingdom. They don't pledge their loyalty to Prince Wu. They pledge their loyalty to you."

"I'm the interim president," Kuvira said, attempting to recover herself.

"Don't," Opal said, and to her dismay her voice broke. Kuvira's mouth closed and she watched Opal, who was struggling to hold back tears. Opal took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady, though her hands were trembling. "I didn't know you before, if you always were who you are now. But I - I don't think you ever lied to me."

Kuvira's expression changed. It was soft, but not schooled. She walked up to Opal again, hands behind her back. "What do you want to know?" she asked in a breath of defeat. She stood in Opal's bedroom, looking her in the eye, simply waiting for her response.

"I want to know," Opal said, and the whole world rested on her tongue. She knew for that moment, she could ask Kuvira anything and get the right answer. "I want to know," she said again. "Do you love my brother? Are you in love?"

Kuvira blinked. She hadn't expected that question either. Kuvira stood up straight and seemed to think for a moment. The fact that thinking was required already gave Opal the answer, but she couldn't help but hold her breath.

At last Kuvira looked back at Opal. "I'm not in love with Baatar," she said. Opal's legs knocked together.

"But you're marrying him," Opal said numbly. "He loves you, why else would he . . . " she couldn't go on.

"Perhaps he does love me," Kuvira conceded. "He knows that those feelings aren't reciprocated. He understands, at least."

"Understands what?" Opal said, her eyes were wet with angry tears. "Why would he stay with someone who doesn't love him back?"

Kuvira smiled a little then, the unfamiliar edge of her that Opal hated coming back. "He loves this country," she said. "Just like I do. He wants to take care of it, not just so that the kingdom can survive, but so that it can grow. That's the philosophy we grew up on in Zaofu. Your own mother, even though I'm sure she hates me now, was the person who instilled that value so strongly in me, and your brother."

Kuvira frowned then. "Your mother resents the fact that he left Zaofu, leaving engineering behind. She saw it as a betrayal. But Baatar has progressed beyond architecture schematics. As much as I love and owe to it, the Earth Kingdom takes precedence over Zaofu. The Earth Kingdom couldn't just right itself. Riots in the streets, thievery, chaos. I couldn't ignore that, and neither could Baatar."

"I didn't ignore that!" Opal broke out. "The Air Nomads didn't! And we never needed to force anyone join us before we would help them!"

Kuvira's voice softened, making Opal feel ridiculous for yelling, "And perhaps you could have done something, if there weren't so few of you. But I'm the only one who can pull all these states together. And if we're not united we'll never survive, much less grow. I really do want what you want, Opal." Opal stiffened when Kuvira murmured her name. "We might have different ways of going about it, and you might be angry that Baatar left, but he's a grown man and he has that right."

"Our end goals are the safety and comfort of as many people as we can help," Kuvira said. "And I want to thank you and Kai for convincing the Governor to join us. We should be working together, the big picture is much more important than whatever happened in the past."

Opal felt like Kuvira was trying too hard to move on from the topic. She'd just admitted that she wasn't in love with Baatar, and had come no closer to explaining why Baatar had made the decisions that he had. Some of the stuff she said had made sense, but other things felt like lies. Opal guessed that Kuvira's moment of honesty had been true, but temporary.

Opal had been given one question to ask and Kuvira had answered it. All the rest were either lies or evasions. Kuvira was standing in Opal's bedroom, the first soft bed Opal had slept on in months, just looking at her and willing her to surrender. Opal wanted more questions answered, she'd only been granted one and she'd wasted it.

Kuvira had grown somewhat impatient in Opal's silence. "Are you happy, now?" she asked, hovering there, almost exasperated. Opal glanced up at Kuvira, meeting her gaze willingly for the first time in a long time. So much had been said, but none of it had gotten Opal closer to any answers. She felt sick.

"Of course not," Opal said. "But it doesn't matter." Kuvira's face twitched.

"Right," she said.

Opal's legs gave out as she sat down on the bed. "Do you still want me to attend the wedding?" she asked, almost spitefully.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time, Opal," Kuvira said, fishing her gloves out of her pockets. She shut the door on the way out far too gently. Opal felt like she should cry, but she didn't. She and Kai spent the rest of the morning saying their thanks and goodbyes, and left Yi not long after Kuvira did.


	5. Chapter 5

174 AG

"So," Kai said awkwardly. "You and Kuvira."

Opal's fingers tightened around Lefty's reins. "What happened there?" he asked. In all honesty Opal had been thinking about it for the last few days. She didn't really want to talk about it but there was nothing else to do during their long trek back to Air Temple Island. She bit her lip.

"So you know how Kuvira was the captain of the city's guard back in Zaofu," she said. "My mom has a dance troupe back in Zaofu, and when Kuvira was around my age now, she joined that troupe. She became a guard on our estate, and she eventually became the captain. I knew her from seeing her around the city and the estate. I never would've guessed that any of this would happen."

"When the Earth Kingdom fell," Opal went on. "Everyone wanted my mom to take charge, to unify the Earth Kingdom. So did Kuvira. My mom refused and Kuvira just . . . something changed. She and my brother started plotting, and eventually they left Zaofu. I was with the airbenders when this all was happening," she explained. "So I don't know the exact details but this is what my brothers told me."

Kai listened to her carefully even though Opal was probably saying stuff he already knew. "Kuvira successfully gained control of Ba Sing Se and well, the rest is history," she concluded. "I don't know why she's acting like this; she's not at all like who I used to know."

"That was kind of my question, anyway," Kai said. Opal looked at him guiltily. Had she been avoiding answering his question? She thought about who Kuvira used to be back in Zaofu.

"My mom was really proud of Kuvira and kind of took her in as a protégé," she explained. "Some people wondered if Kuvira would someday take over Zaofu after my mother. It was just rumours, nothing official, and my mother never told any of us back then and I doubt she'd tell me now." Without prompting Suyin wouldn't tell Opal either way - if she hadn't planned on Kuvira taking her place there would be no reason to bring it up and if she had Opal felt like her she would be too ashamed and hurt.

She knew how her mother had restrained her angry and resentful feelings about her sister to the point where they physically fought each other when they saw each other again. Kuvira disobeyed her orders and took her son, Opal could tell it was just as personal.

All the same, everyone more or less expected Kuvira to take over some day. Suyin's hair had greyed, but she definitely wasn't going to give up her position anytime soon. While she'd never wanted to control an entire nation Zaofu was definitely hers. While there was no apparent heir at the time, or even now, people had wondered.

Next to Kuvira, people had speculated that Baatar, the eldest, and even Opal, the only daughter to a matriarch, would take over. However neither Baatar nor Opal, while they'd never really spoken about it with each other, assumed they would ever lead Zaofu. Opal hadn't wanted to, but perhaps Baatar had.

"I wonder if that's why Baatar left," she murmured. "He's the oldest but he knew he'd never get to run Zaofu. That would go against Zaofu's principles anyway, we're not a monarchy, but people wondered if my mom would play favourites because we're not a democracy either. Mom wouldn't play favourites, though, she always treated Kuvira very professionally."

"Maybe that's why Kuvira left," Kai suggested. Opal looked at the towns below them. Little villages that still showed the signs of being victimized by the bandits. The fields around the town were empty of grain but people were working there, most likely sewing new seeds. "I know my mentor back at the Northern Air Temple wasn't professional with me."

"Who was your mentor?" Opal asked curiously. Kai grinned at her. "You're such a suck up," she laughed.

"My point is that none of the people I admired ever treated me 'professionally'," he said. "If you looked up to someone like she looked up to Suyin, and that person treated you like that, ordered you around, didn't listen to what you had to say. You wouldn't want to be treated like that forever, right?"

"I don't think she left because she was hurt that my mom didn't treat her nicer," Opal began to argue.

"I'm not asking how nicely she treated her," Kai said. "I'm asking if your mom respected her. And you don't have to answer, I don't want to argue or anything. I don't know anything about your mother."

Opal glanced back at Kai. He'd wrapped his legs around his knees and was looking off into the distance. He really didn't want to fight Opal, he just wanted to help her understand what was going on. Opal felt a rush of gratitude towards him. The very least she could do was honestly think about it.

Like every Beifong, her mother had her flaws. But Suyin didn't really owe Kuvira any respect . . . but at the same time Opal could understand why Kuvira would want it. Suyin was very controlling, over her city and the people within it, especially her family. It was why Opal had been so nervous about confronting her, and why she had almost stayed in Zaofu. It was understandable why Suyin would want Opal to stay, but ordering Kuvira to do the same? If she treated Kuvira so formally but expected her to act like family, it really wasn't fair on her.

"Maybe," Opal said at last. "It doesn't make what she's doing okay."

"We still don't know if she's doing anything," Kai pointed out.

"I have a bad feeling about it," Opal said.

"Yeah," Kai said. "You have a feeling." She didn't appreciate it being reduced to just that, but it was probably true. She idly whipped the reins against Lefty's back, and the giant animal grumbled but picked up speed.

"My mom didn't want her to go," Opal said. "But I know from experience that while she means well, it just comes off as controlling. It is controlling." She couldn't help but wonder why her oldest brother had left. "Maybe that's why Baatar went with Kuvira, but I thought he was happy in Zaofu. I thought we all were."

"You left," Kai said.

"That's different," Opal replied.

"Is it?" Kai asked. "You and your brother are doing the same thing right now, helping people, right? Maybe Kuvira was his calling, the way airbending was yours." Opal frowned at the way he phrased it.

"I don't think he's helping people," she said simply. "And I do think Kuvira's not as great as everyone says she is. And maybe it's just a feeling but I can't just ignore it either." Kai nodded.

"So . . ." he said. "Kuvira was your mom's protégé. They had a falling out when Kuvira decided to do what she thought your mom should do, and when Baatar came with her things just got worse." Opal nodded.

"That's what I heard," she said.

"So what about you and Kuvira?" Kai asked. "What happened between you two?" Maybe Opal had more of an airbender in her than she thought. She'd danced around the question so well even she hadn't noticed it.

She watched the horizon of white clouds and blue mountains slowly approaching them."I don't know," she said. "Nothing happened between us." She felt Kai's gaze on her, like he wanted to ask more questions but couldn't find any. She didn't have any more answers to give. She understood her relationship with Kuvira just about as much as she understood Kuvira. She could only speculate.

"Hey, what's that?" Kai suddenly spoke up

"What?" she asked, glancing over at him.

"Down there," he said, leaning over the edge. Opal peered over Lefty and saw it. "What is that?"

"Is that," she murdered. "Is that, some sort of camp?" She'd heard the rumours. She'd hoped they weren't true.

"No way," Kai said. He looked up at her, face tight with worry. "I'll fly down?" he asked.

"Be careful," she said. "No wait." This was something she had to see for herself. "I'll go down." Kai nodded slowly, changing places with her. She unhooked the wings of her suit and clipped them to her arms.

"If something goes wrong," he said. "I'll try to -"

"If something goes wrong, find a way to contact Air Temple Island and if Jinora contacts you let her know what happened," she said. "If I'm not here in half an hour just leave and go get help." Kai nodded, looking over the side again.

Opal stood up. She took a breath and peered over the edge. This was a part of the job she'd never quite gotten used to, but she had to do this. The strange structure on the ground . . . she had to find out what it was.

When Opal flew back up half an hour later Kai grabbed her arm and pulled her onto Lefty. She tried to unclip her wings multiple times until Kai stilled her trembling fingers and unbuttoned them for her. It was much colder up here than she remembered. She sat down. She could feel his eyes on her.

After a moment she finally spoke up. "I don't understand her at all," she said, faint with defeat. She wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't understand her."


	6. Chapter 6

170 AG

Opal watched the muscles in Kuvira's back move as she pulled apart the metal. "Remember," Kuvira was saying, a little grin in her voice. "This isn't allowed." Opal nodded too eagerly for someone who was not being looked at. Kuvira manipulated the hole she'd melted into the dome to be a size large enough for them to walk through.

"You first," Kuvira said, a hint of gallantry in the way she spoke. It was Kuvira's day off from guard duty, but she knew the schedules and had found a temporarily unguarded part of Zaofu for Opal and her. She was dressed pretty lightly but Opal had no doubt she could defend herself and Opal if something did happen.

As it was Kuvira wasn't wearing her guard's uniform; she was wearing some of her dancing clothes but bands of metal encircled her arms and legs. She also wore gloves that were equipped with the metal rope both guards and dancers utilized. Kuvira had mentioned to Opal once that she didn't like wearing the poncho-style clothing that was that was currently straddling the line between traditional and fashionable in Zaofu, and Opal rarely saw her wearing clothes like that.

All that meant was that when Kuvira stepped outside with Opal and turned around to seal the metal behind them the moonlight set her skin alight with a kind of blue Opal had never seen before. Kuvira turned around then with a smile that seemed to promise Opal she'd seen nothing yet.

"Come on," she said, and Opal could hear a hint of giddiness in her voice. It wasn't just Opal that was excited about this after all. Kuvira gestured towards the horizon and Opal turned her head to really take it all in for the first time. Her jaw dropped open.

The moonlight hit the lotus structure of the domes, lighting them up like a jewels against the blue-black lines of the mountain. In the sky there were millions of stars, clustering together so closely they lightened the night where they gathered. On the ground dew had collected into constellations of their own and they glittered when Opal moved her head.

It was the rainy season and the rains had littered the ground with large pools that were still enough to reflect the moon, patches of pure white in the dark, blue-green night. The air hummed with a sweet scent of grass and distant blooming flowers. The world was crisp and perfect.

The pure blackness and Kuvira by her side made Opal feel overwhelmed and humbled. Looking up at the stars again, shimmering and flashing, then down at the valley embraced by mountains Opal felt her knees grow weak. She'd read so many adventure stories, chased to remember so many dreams, and yet it was this simple sight that brought her down to this point.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kuvira asked, and she almost sounded proud. Opal nodded, feeling tears build in her eyes. She couldn't cry in front of Kuvira and crying over something like this would be too ridiculous. She tried to wipe her eyes subtly but Kuvira noticed and laughed lightly. "You can see why I don't mind working nights if I get to patrol outside." Opal nodded fervently. She couldn't speak yet.

"Come on," Kuvira said. "I'll show you a better view."

They walked in silence, Opal trailing behind Kuvira a little. She'd never seen anything like this outside dreams, it didn't seem real and Opal couldn't stop her eyes from eating up the scene, desperate to keep it alive in her mind. She felt like the sight would shatter if she looked away for a moment. Kuvira led her deeper into the night.

They settled down against the other side of the dome, the cool metal biting the backs of Opal's arms as she sat down. The view was even more breathtaking here, settled between all the domes. The river snaked off into the distance, smearing the reflections of stars inside the water. Kuvira had her arms folded, but didn't seem too bothered by the cold.

"This is amazing," Opal murmured admiringly. Kuvira nodded and Opal looked at her for a moment, the small smile on Kuvira's lips searing its memory into Opal's brain. Opal looked away quickly, cheeks hot in the cold night. Her heart pounded and Opal pressed one hand to her chest, feeling it beat through her skin.

"Are you cold?" Kuvira asked, dismayed, having misread Opal's gesture. Opal folded her hands in her lap. She was cold after all, but it was definitely worth it.

"Are you?" she asked. Kuvira nodded appreciatively at the response.

"A little," she said. They were both freezing.

For a second Opal desperately wanted to tell Kuvira to hold her. She wanted one of Kuvira's arms to wrap around Opal, tugging her and inviting her to lean against the dancer. Opal bit down those thoughts and didn't examine them. The night was already perfect as it was, she couldn't tempt the universe, and she couldn't afford to think about why Kuvira holding her would make her even happier.

"Next time we'll dress up warmer," Kuvira promised. Next time. Opal's throat swelled so she couldn't embarrass herself.

She breathed in the world and let out the exhale, a cloud billowing from her mouth. "My mom ran away from home when she was sixteen and became a pirate," she said after awhile. "Then she joined a travelling circus, and then spent a few years living in a sandbender commune. She's seen so much."

"I know," Kuvira said. Suyin had probably seen more of the world than the entire population of Zaofu combined and everyone in Zaofu knew that. When Opal was little her mother's recollections would be her daughter's bedtime stories, mingling with stories of the past Avatar and of Toph. "Do you want to see those things as well?"

Opal had always found her mother's past the most fascinating, by the way her mother told those stories Opal could tell how much she loved those days. She didn't miss the past, but she looked back on it with a fondness and satisfaction Opal wanted to earn for herself someday.

"Kind of hard not to," Opal said at last. "After all those stories. Maybe it's just a part of being a Beifong daughter. The urge to . . ." she trailed off. Opal loved Zaofu more than anything in the world. She'd never tell her mother this, though she'd told her father once and he'd smiled at her with a look in his eye that made her feel like she was something to be proud of.

The thing was . . . Opal had heard too much about the world to let it pass her by. She had to see it. Even this little scrap of world had nearly made her teary-eyed because of how overwhelmingly beautiful it was. She didn't know how she would see the rest . . . she wasn't a bender and she couldn't fight. She knew there was a reason why the domes were raised every night. But she could freeze to death out here, sitting next to Kuvira and watching the moon, and feel like it was worth it.

"I don't remember a lot about my family," Kuvira spoke up suddenly. Opal looked at the moonlight on her skin, reflected in her eyes and hair. Her breath misted out of her mouth, rising to the stars, as she continued to talk to Opal. "I was sent to Zaofu when I was eight years old. I was lonely at first, your mother saw that I had potential and she was very kind to me."

"Why didn't your parents come with you?" Opal asked.

"They didn't want to," Kuvira said. "My parents weren't earth or metalbenders." Opal froze at the offhand way Kuvira had said it, like not accompanying a child to a strange city was something forgivable because of their bending status. Many parts of the city were inaccessible to people who couldn't metalbend, but Opal's father and the few other non-earthbenders found it liveable.

Kuvira had moved on. "I used to hate my parents for what they did to me, sending me away. I felt inadequate, and angry, but I didn't have anywhere to direct that anger except at myself. In many ways your mother and the city she created saved me, allowed me to direct my emotions, good and bad, into making myself a better person."

Opal had had no idea. Kuvira's feelings had never come up, but this was not really something that would come up often. She held her breath and let Kuvira continue. "I couldn't imagine staying with my family now, and I'm grateful they sent me away," Kuvira said. She sounded too bitter to be telling the truth and she noticed Opal's doubting expression.

"They said that they wanted what was best for me," she amended. "But if anything good came from it, it was from what I did for myself." Opal tried not to pity Kuvira, but it must've been incredibly lonely.

While Kuvira hadn't been outright rejected by her family, she had been sent away at such a young age that she might as well have been. If more than a decade had passed and Kuvira still spoke of her family with such a hurt tone it was clear that they hadn't tried to earn her back.

"Where did you stay?" Opal asked softly.

"For awhile I stayed at your house, actually," Kuvira said, folding her arms over her legs. "You were just a baby at the time, maybe two or three years old. You wouldn't have remembered me. Your mother let me stay until she found a better home for me."

"And it was better?" Opal asked. Kuvira looked at Opal, a little surprised, then smiled easily.

"Of course they were better," she said. "The people who watched after me couldn't metalbend so Su actually visited quite often to teach me." That sounded like Opal's mother. Suyin felt responsible for all of her citizens and enjoyed interfering in their lives in positive ways.

Still, the fact that Kuvira's guardians couldn't metalbend must have made her think of her biological parents. Opal couldn't imagine how terrible it must have felt to be cast out like that. Opal never really fit into the Beifong household as neatly as her other siblings, but she'd never been made to feel unwanted.

"My point is," Kuvira said, calling Opal's attention back to the strong, talented woman she'd become. "That even though I was cast out, I still made something out of myself. Your mother gave me that chance, Zaofu gave me that chance. Words can't describe how grateful I am for this city but Opal . . . even I want to leave sometimes."

Opal blinked in surprise. Kuvira smiled a little at her. Opal turned back to the view. The moon had risen higher in the sky now and was a little brighter now. Clouds were pooling around the mountains, drifting down, and in the distance Opal could see wind rifling through the grass and heading in their direction. Kuvira also wanted to leave sometimes. It wasn't just Opal.

And it wasn't just that Opal wanted to go outside sometimes and watch the moon. The way Kuvira looked at her told Opal that she understood that as well. Opal, greedily, needed more. She had everything she wanted, and she always felt like if she died that night she'd have seen and appreciated the world enough. She still wanted more.

Still . . . this was enough. Sitting, surrounded by mountains and the black night, feeling both small and large. The stars seemed to spin, and the grass glittered and a cold gust of wind crept on her and Kuvira. Kuvira grimaced against the cold but seemed to enjoy it. They'd have to sneak back soon but for now the moment hung in the air, waiting for them to move.

"Thank you, Kuvira," Opal said, hoping Kuvira could tell how grateful she was. This was one of the most beautiful things Opal had ever seen of experienced, and she couldn't properly vocalize just exactly how it made her feel. Kuvira smiled at Opal.

"Just imagine if the entire world was as advanced as Zaofu," she replied. She gestured at the view offhandedly. "We wouldn't need the domes."

"We couldn't go out at night when it rains though," Opal pointed out. She liked taking midnight strolls when her mind was feeling full, and she loved to hear the patter of rain hitting the domes, echoing across the place. It wasn't quite as stunning as this, in retrospect, but there was something beautiful in it as well.

"There's nothing quite like night rain either," Kuvira spoke up. Opal glanced at the scene Kuvira had shown her again and saw that Kuvira knew what she was talking about. She smiled.

"I'd like a world where I'd have both options," she confessed softly. Kuvira glanced at her.

"Make that world," she said as if it was the simplest thing she could have proposed. In the night, outside of the pleasant cage that was Zaofu and underneath Kuvira's gaze, Opal felt for a moment, short-lived and brilliant, like Kuvira's words were the easiest truth in existence.


	7. Chapter 7

174 AG

Jinora hadn't contacted them in nearly two weeks, which wasn't her fault. She had more important things to be doing than checking up on them. All this meant was that Kai and Opal would have to travel back to tell the airbenders what they'd learned if she didn't contact them first. They were going to fly back anyway but the information they'd just learned made them feel desperate and anxious.

It took Kai finding Opal asleep at Lefty's reigns for them to agree to sleep on the ground and not take shifts flying back because if Opal was falling asleep at the job it meant Lefty would start to as well. They decided to fly most of the day and find a town to rest up at night. Lefty preferred travelling like that anyway and Opal felt bad about pushing him too hard.

Opal and Kai landed down in a small town that was still in the honeymoon phase of the Earth Kingdom's occupancy. Kai and Opal knew not to talk too much about what they had seen because there was no way they'd be believed until it was too late. The Air Nomads were not in a position of trust or authority in the world quite yet.

In smatterings of towns across the kingdom there was always some villager who'd left to join the nomads anyway. People were eager for news Opal didn't have but Kai always found some way to placate them. This town was no different than the other towns they'd passed by. Most people simply ignored them beyond some initial interest, and it suited them just fine.

Some people resented the nomads for not helping their towns in their time of need, but they were a minority. Most people looked at the nomads as a novelty. The Air Nomads were, for the most part, known for not being particularly useful but not being particularly harmful either. People liked getting their photos taken with them and things like that but Opal and Kai knew there was a limited amount time they could spend in a village's hospitality before wearing out their welcome.

When they landed Kai told her to find a place for Lefty to sleep and he'd find somewhere for them. One thing she could thank Kuvira for was that bandits were no longer trying to steal Kai's bison. Lefty lumbered alongside Opal while she located the barn they'd seen from the sky. It was a bit of a stretch to convince the owner to let Lefty sleep there, seeing as Lefty could barely fit, but she managed.

Opal needed to count her coins to pay the owner of the barn but by the time she'd readied the money the owner waved his hand and said he'd let Lefty stay there for free for the night. People were still euphoric and generous after pledging their allegiance to the Great Uniter. Also Opal probably looked like she needed it. She thanked him until he told her to get out.

Wandering back into the main part of town she located Kai outside a bar. "I found us a place," he said. "They're kinda desperate for the business, so I talked them down kind of cheap." Opal made a face but they also needed the money to last them awhile so she couldn't complain.

"I got Lefty a free night," she said.

"Wow, I guess you picked up some skills from me," Kai said, sounding impressed. Opal rolled her eyes. "Come on, there's food in here," he gestured at the bar. She turned a skeptical gaze on him; he had a few years to go before they'd let him drink here but Kai was already walking through the door.

It turned out the place had once been a bar but with the lack of supplies after the revolt and the fact that the Kuvira's army wasn't going to transport liquor as its first priority, the place had been turned into a makeshift restaurant. It had clearly been reopened recently; the smell of dust still lingered along the scent of fresh food.

"And now we have more money to spend here," Kai said, sounding relieved, pacing into the restaurant.

"We have to make it last," Opal reminded him.

"Opal!" Kai whined. He sounded ridiculous and all but stamped his little foot in indignation. Opal snorted. "Hey," Kai whined again. "Don't make fun of me!"

"Fine," she grinned. "I guess we could afford to spend a little more than usual."

"Yes!" he crowed victoriously.

They sat at the bar, peering up at the menu on the wall. "What's your specialty?" Kai asked the bartender as Opal surveyed the bar. There quite a few people in here, quite a few children as well. The good smell in the place was wafting away from the soups people were eating and Opal's stomach rumbled.

She looked up at the menu to see if there was anything vegetarian. Fortunately there was something on there that was an option. "How about the vegetable noodle soup?" she nudged Kai.

"Pau buns are their specialty," Kai said, looking lost.

"This place looks like it's been open for two weeks," Opal said.

"Hey, good guess, three weeks actually," the bartender said cheerfully. Kai looked at Opal with sad eyes.

"I guess we could get both," she sighed. Kai did a little dance in his seat. He was like the younger brother she actually liked so she had an even harder time saying no to him. "Also could we get some tea?" The bartender nodded and walked back towards the back room.

"You're a jerk," she muttered.

"I believe in people," he said easily. "Those buns are going to be worth it."

When they arrived Opal had to admit they were pretty tasty. Opal had been concerned that they'd have meat, since she and Kai had always been vegetarians when they could afford to be, but they were stuffed full of fresh vegetables. Opal hadn't tasted anything so delicious for around two years.

The soup itself was very good as well, warm and slick and tasted like the kind of food that would make someone homesick. "Where'd you get us our room?" Opal asked as she happily devoured her meal.

"Some inn," he said. "I got us two beds too. Score!"

"How did you manage that?" Opal asked. She didn't mind sleeping with Kai but sometimes he pushed her off the bed and that got old really fast.

"I told her we were dating and she insisted," he snickered.

"Kai!" Opal mumbled, embarrassed. She glanced back at him. "And you didn't have to pay extra?"

"Nope," he said. He grinned at her silence. "We're going to use that more, aren't we?"

"Oh shut up," she said good-naturedly. The soup was already making her feel better than she had in ages, lighter somehow. For a relatively little amount of money they were getting so much food; it was a feast. She hadn't eaten like this . . . ever. She loved Chef's food back in Zaofu, everything the man had ever made was a masterpiece. This was something simple but it made Opal feel so genuinely happy.

"I think this is the best thing I've ever eaten," she told Kai.

"Same," he said cheerfully. Opal paused chewing. Not everyone had a background like hers.

"I'm sorry, Kai," she said. "I didn't think."

"About what?" he asked. Opal stirred her soup awkwardly. "Oh. You know, you think your rich girl victim-complex is charming," he said, taking another bite of his pau bun. "It's really not." Opal flushed. He noticed that and stopped eating for a moment and looked a little regretful at his choice of words.

"Look, just don't, pity me. And don't pity yourself," he muttered and stirred his soup moodily. "You can feel bad, and you should, it sucks a lot that I was poor. But feeling guilty about it is useless and bringing it up kinda ruins the meal."

"I'm sorry," Opal said.

"Stop apologizing," Kai said, looking at her. Opal shut her mouth. He frowned. "Right now, it doesn't matter where we came from, or what we did. We're both in a better place than we were three years ago. Helping people is always going to be a better place. Being with a friend is always going to be a better place. This soup tastes good because we're both tired and hungry and with each other. That, and the fact that it's good soup." he added hastily when the bartender glared at him.

Opal smiled down at her bowl. Neither she nor Kai had really had friends before this. Despite their backgrounds they were similar in many ways and those similarities bridged their differences and made them an efficient, balanced team. They weren't just friends, they were partners.

"I love you, Kai," she said quietly. She really did. Over all they'd been through in the past few years she'd grown to care for him like he was family.

"I'm taken," he responded haughtily.

"Kai!" she grinned at his deflection. He didn't want to get too bogged down with a serious discussion.

"I love you, too," he said, smiling at her. "Just stop, acting like I'm going to fall apart if you bring up how poor I was. I'm not, someone for you to pity. I took care of myself." He was still such a kid; proud and angry.

"You shouldn't have had to," Opal murmured. "You shouldn't have had to be a bender for someone to care about you."

"Yeah," Kai said, stirring his bowl. "Yeah, I sometimes wonder where I'd be if I didn't learn how to bend. Probably in prison. And you, you'd probably still be in Zaofu." Opal nodded.

"Maybe not," she said. "There's a reason why we're airbenders, and even if there isn't, I know us." She couldn't help but grin. "We'd see each other, Kai. We'd find each other." She had no idea where she was pulling that from, but it was accompanied by such an intense, giddy feeling that she knew it was the truth. Kai nodded.

"You know I . . . I've never had someone I could really depend on before," he said. "Or, I guess it's better to say that I've never had someone depend on me, someone who trusted me completely. I've never had a friend like you." Opal felt the same way and she let him talk because she knew that he knew that.

"But," he said, growing grim. "Kuvira." Opal's heart sank.

"I don't want to talk about her," she said, fingers clenching around her bowl, the heat marking her skin.

"We won't," he said. "We can't. But, my point is . . . I think things are going to change soon. Something's going to happen." Opal had no doubt about that either. "I guess, I just want to say thank you, and goodbye, just in case."

"I'll accept that thank you," she said firmly. "But you're not getting rid of me just yet."

"Just," he said, looking troubled. "Whatever happens - take care of yourself, okay? If I can't, make sure you do."

"Yeah," Opal said seriously. "Same." Kai looked solemnly back at her. They hadn't really spoken about what Opal had seen down at Kuvira's camp. There wasn't much more than what they'd seen in the sky, so there was no point. But they'd pointedly avoided talking about what it could mean. They'd agreed to go tell Tenzin and the others but they hadn't discussed it with each other. Clearly they'd both been thinking about it.

"If she takes you," Opal said. "Do everything you can to get away. I don't know how bad it gets, but I know I don't want you to be the one to find out." Kai heaved a sigh into his meal.

"Want the rest of my pau buns?" he asked. Opal did. Kai slid his plate over and finished off his tea.

"The last few months haven't been great," Opal spoke up as she chewed on a bun. "It's been all travelling, arriving too late and then having to fly to the meeting spot for Jinora to contact us."

"I wouldn't say we arrived too late," Kai shrugged. "But I will say that Kuvira definitely has a better mode of transportation than we do, no offense, Lefty," he added as though the bison could hear him.

"Anyway," she said softly. "I still had a good time." Kai nodded, smiling a little.

The door of the bar wafted open, a breeze hitting the back of Opal's neck. "I got the paper," the little kid who'd entered said, walking up to the bar. They could barely reach the counter so Kai helped them out, placing the newspaper on the bar.

"Thanks, kiddo," the bartender said, tossing the kid a coin. The child argued about the amount and Opal's eyes wandered over to the paper, still feeling warm from talking to Kai. Her eye caught the headline and she pulled it over to her. She gasped.

"Kuvira's in charge of the Earth Kingdom?" Opal yelled, slamming the newspaper away from her.

"Whoa, Opal, calm down," Kai hissed.

"What, the Great Uniter?" the kid asked. "That's old news, lady." Opal felt sick.

"I'm sorry," she said, sitting down. She hadn't noticed she'd stood up. She was trembling with barely suppressed rage. When Kuvira had talked to Opal she was planning to - "Is Prince Wu alright?"

The bartender shrugged. "Last I heard he was moping around Republic City in one of the Sato estates."

"What happened?" Opal asked, probably a little too intensely.

"You have the newspaper," the bartender said.

Kai laughed awkwardly. "Can my friend have another cup of tea?"

Opal leafed through the pages, skimming the article as quickly as she could. Most of the news revolved around Kuvira. She'd gone to Republic City, to Wu's coronation, and usurped him in front of all his people. No one had stopped her. Opal had met Wu once back in Zaofu and while he hadn't struck her as the most competent future ruler anyone would be better than someone throwing their dissenters into camps.

"Your tea is here," Kai said.

Opal felt too sick to drink it.

"Kai," she said.

"We stick to the plan," Kai said firmly. Opal nodded. Things were so much worse than she thought. She had to get back home. She had to see her family. She had to find and shake some sense into Bolin. She had to stop Kuvira before she fucked up even more. Before she came for Zaofu, oh no, Kuvira was going to come for Zaofu -

Kai was talking in the distance and Opal couldn't breathe. She sagged against the counter, her heart thudding through her chest, feeling chills break across her arms. Kai looped an arm under her shoulder and pulled her out into the night where she could fall apart with some dignity. Opal just leaned against the wall outside, sobbing and shuddering, unable to think and thinking far too much.

When Opal finally gained some focus, exhausted with a splitting headache, Kai was saying, "We'll stop her." Opal felt nauseous and exhausted. He helped her to her feet and they began walking towards the inn. Opal wiped her eyes and told him it wasn't comforting.


	8. Chapter 8

170 AG

Opal was taking a walk across Zaofu when she spotted Kuvira. She and a friend had set out a blanket on the grass and were relaxing together. Kuvira's friend was dressed in Zaofu's traditional clothes and Kuvira wore a top and loose, green pants. Kuvira was really beautiful, stretched out across her friend's lap and laughing happily in the daylight. The sight made Opal smile a little.

"Hey, Opal," Kuvira said, grinning at Opal. Opal blushed and glanced away, she hadn't intended on Kuvira noticing her as she passed them.

"Hi," Opal said, stopping and walking over to Kuvira, a little reluctantly.

"Out for a walk?" Kuvira asked, eyes bright.

"Yeah, just a small one," Opal shrugged. Kuvira's gaze fell on the book Opal was holding and raised an eyebrow.

"Good book?" she asked.

"I like it," Opal replied, self-consciously clutching it to herself.

"So about those dance lessons," Kuvira said, changing the subject with ease. Kuvira had somehow managed to get Opal to agree to some lessons. Opal was forever torn between wanting to be around Kuvira and not wanting to humiliate herself in front of her but she'd accidentally said yes to Kuvira's offer and now had to go through with it. "Are you busy now?"

"Ah, no," Opal said. She obviously wasn't. Kuvira raised her eyebrows. "You're free?" she asked.

"Yeah, for awhile," Kuvira said easily. "Want to practice?" Opal gulped. She really didn't. "You promised," Kuvira reminded her teasingly.

"Yeah, alright," Opal sighed.

"No need to sound so enthusiastic," Kuvira chuckled up at her. Opal shrugged.

"Making plans, are you?" Kuvira's friend spoke up.

"Yes," Kuvira said. "Jealous?"

"You wish," her friend replied good-naturedly, sitting up and causing Kuvira's head to roll off her lap and onto the grass. "I have to leave for work now, anyway." Kuvira sat up and grinned at the short-haired woman.

"I'll see you later?" she asked, getting to her feet.

"I'll see you later," the other woman replied, winking at Kuvira. Opal was a little confused at Kuvira's secretive smile in response, but then Kuvira was up and moving, and Opal was struggling to keep up. Kuvira hadn't even told her to come with her.

"I'm thinking today we'll start with some stretches and then just see what level you're at," Kuvira suggested.

"Oh - okay," Opal mumbled. She was sure it'd be obvious as soon as she started stretching.

"Don't worry about looking a little silly," Kuvira said. "We all start at zero and then work our way up from there." Kuvira's words were supposed to be reassuring but they didn't really help. Still, even while dread was eating Opal up, Kuvira's enthusiasm was catching. It was best to get it over with anyway.

Kuvira and her friend hadn't been that far from the studio, so within a few minutes they were at the building. Kuvira swiftly bent open the doors and walked into the place. It was so strange for Opal to see the giant building devoid of dancers; whenever she'd dropped by her mother had always been running rehearsal. Opal soon found out they wouldn't be dancing in the main room however. There were more rooms inside the building and Kuvira unlocked one, stepping inside and holding the door open for Opal.

As Kuvira turned on the lights and set up a record player Opal looked around the area. This room was the farthest thing from intimate which made her feel relieved. It was a smaller practice room; it still had the tall ceiling but the walls were covered with reflective metal. With the mirrors the place seemed huge.

Kuvira put on a bright, somewhat jazzy tune that was more characteristic of Republic City than Zaofu. Opal hadn't heard any of the dancers dance to songs like this but she figured that they used it for warming up. "I don't really like this kind of music," Kuvira admitted, rebinding up the bandages on her arms. "But this one has a good rhythm."

Kuvira stretched her arms over her head, her muscles flexing. Opal set down her book by the door and paced towards the middle of the room where Kuvira was standing, looking up at the metalbender with wide eyes and a determined, if probably apprehensive, expression. "Now," Kuvira said with a smile. "Have you ever danced by yourself when no one was watching?"

"No," Opal said honestly. "Not since I was a kid." This was off to a great start.

"Really?" Kuvira asked. "Do you think it would be easier for you to dance when no one was watching?"

"No," Opal said. "Because I can't dance." Kuvira grinned.

"Dancing isn't about skill, it's about feeling," she assured Opal. "If you like to dance you'll get better eventually."

"I also don't like to dance," Opal reminded her with a shy smile.

"Well, how can you know that if you don't dance?" Kuvira asked her. "Come on. Just move around a little. Stretch. Do whatever feels comfortable." None of this felt comfortable. Opal tried moving to rhythm but it just came out jerky and uncoordinated. The lights were way too bright in this room, and Kuvira was watching her. Oh spirits, she was totally unteachable wasn't she.

"Maybe we should try something different," Kuvira said thoughtfully. Opal stopped dancing immediately, hanging awkwardly. She squeezed her eyes shut. This was unbelievably embarrassing and awful. Opal hoped Kuvira didn't notice how red her face probably was; Opal's cheeks were burning. She just wanted this to be over.

"This is an older song," Kuvira spoke up. "The dance is Bagua and Northern Shaolin in synchronization." She noticed Opal's confused look. "It's a traditional style. Here I'll dance with you. At least now you got warmed up . . . sort of." Opal couldn't wait for Kuvira to give up on her.

Kuvira changed the record than walked over to Opal as it began to spin. "The movements in this dance," she said, starting to circle Opal and extending her arm. "Were based on bending." Opal mimicked her and stuck out her arm and Kuvira moved so that their wrists touched. Opal began to circle around Kuvira in the opposite direction, trying to follow her movements best that she could. The music began to play.

"Bending," Kuvira went on. "Is all about listening to your body. It's not something you can just think into happening; you and your body work together to manipulate whichever element you've been given. Listening to your body is very important to being a good bender and it's one of the reasons I still practice dancing. It's not an ability you can stop doing and expect to still have in a year."

Kuvira switched directions and Opal stumbled a little but picked up the movement. "I'm, sorry," Opal mumbled. She was following Kuvira okay; the moves were pretty basic and Kuvira's body language gave Opal warnings when she was going to change something up, but Opal still wasn't moving perfectly on beat or even in sync with Kuvira. At least she wasn't tripping over her own feet or stepping on Kuvira's.

"You're not listening to yourself," Kuvira said simply. "You've got nothing to be embarrassed about, Opal, no one will think less of you if you're never a good dancer. But." Opal looked up at Kuvira for the first time since they started dancing. "You should still try." Opal was trying.

"Just listen to the music and try to enjoy it," Kuvira said, her voice low and soothing. Opal closed her eyes and listened as they moved. The music had a slow, steady rhythm, but the instruments were bright and the melody leapt from beat to beat. It did sound old, and kind of airy; its rhythm was slow now but not at all tentative and it seemed like it was picking up. It was nice.

The world narrowed down to the touch of Kuvira's wrist to Opal's, the rough bandage there. The dancers wore them to prevent accidental injuries from dancing with metal, taking them off only for opening night. The music and the bindings were all Opal noticed and her body moved by itself. Kuvira guided her movements with care, and when the rhythm started speeding up Opal didn't worry too much.

"The traditional dance was a little more complex," Kuvira murmured, guiding Opal's movements to change directions and try a slightly more complicated move. "But these are the basic movements. The circling we're doing here is something common in all forms of bending, gathering the energy together." Kuvira moved her hands, mimicking the movement of bending and Opal copied her, more relaxed now.

They moved again as the music picked up pace, and Opal felt more confident. Her body had warmed up now and she felt safe to open her eyes now.

Kuvira was grinning at her. "You just had to relax," she said, sounding pleased.

"I'm still not great," Opal said, stumbling a little as Kuvira broke off for a move but Opal quickly corrected her course.

"You don't have to be great," Kuvira said. "But you wanted to dance, and now you can dance. Improvement comes with practice." Eyebrow quirked to let Opal know she was going to try something, Kuvira span Opal. Opal fortunately didn't fall over and resumed her previous position, circling Kuvira with a little grin.

"Thanks," she said. It was true, she could dance a little. It wasn't that big of a deal, actually. Opal felt almost relieved. She was still kind of clumsy, but she could do it. They practiced for half an hour or so more. At one point Kuvira even switched the music back to the original song and Opal did a much better job at loosening up and dancing than she had before.

Opal found herself grinning, it was actually kind of fun. She heard a gentle knock at the door and turned around to see her mother. "Opal, why couldn't you learn how to dance when I taught you?" Suyin asked semi-miserably from the doorway. Opal turned around and smiled at her mother, stepping away from Kuvira and wandering over to her.

Kuvira also looked at Suyin carefully and expectantly, waiting for her judgement. Suyin smiled at them both. "That was lovely," Suyin said, threading her arm through her daughter's to pull her along back to Kuvira. "You're an excellent teacher, Kuvira."

"I learned from the best, Suyin," Kuvira said, smiling.

"I told you to call me Su," Opal's mother scolded Kuvira lightly. She turned her head and smiled at her daughter. "You've really grown, Opal," Suyin said fondly.

"I'm not going to start dancing now, mom," Opal warned her.

"I know," her mother said cheerfully, running her hands through Opal's hair idly. "You were very good though."

"Mom," Opal grinned

"I think I have guard duty now," Kuvira said, reading the situation. "Good afternoon, Opal, Su." With one last smile to Opal Kuvira left the room, leaving the door open for them. Opal waved goodbye. Suyin watched Kuvira go, and then wandered from Opal's side to shut off the music and put the records away.

"How do you feel about Kuvira, Opal?" she asked as she worked.

"I like her," Opal said honestly. She wasn't sure why her mother was asking though.

"Do you trust her?" Suyin questioned. Opal didn't know how to answer that. Kuvira had never been put in a position to betray or uphold Opal's trust. Suyin seemed to see Opal's confusion and wandered over to her daughter again. "She's rising fast in the ranks," she explained. "I'm sure you've heard rumours about how she's next in line to be the Guard Captain. I'd like to have someone I can trust in that position."

"You don't trust Kuvira?" Opal asked. She didn't know why Suyin wouldn't, especially since she'd been the one to teach Kuvira metalbending. Even then Opal could tell that her mother wanted Kuvira to succeed in Zaofu and wanted to trust her.

"I trust you," Suyin said firmly. "I trust your judgement as much as I trust Aiwei's." Opal looked at her mom. She knew her mom had already made her mind up either way, she'd known Kuvira the longest after all. All the same she wanted Opal's opinion but the way she looked at Opal made Opal feel she had the final say.

Her mother knew that she sometimes ran a fine line between being too controlling over her people and too biased. She needed to know from someone like Opal that her opinion was alright. She knew Opal would never abide by anything morally wrong from anyone and she trusted Opal to tell her relevant information that she and Aiwei might have missed.

Kuvira had never betrayed Opal. But she had let Opal outside of Zaofu. Kuvira been covered in metal, doubling as potential defence and offense, and nothing had happened but she'd still pulled apart the dome. Opal knew she should tell the Metal Clan's matriarch about this. Instead, she took her mother's hand, held it and smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

174 AG

Kai and Opal had been flying for a few days straight and exhaustion was settling tightly in their bones. Taking the knowledge of camps together with the fact that Kuvira had overthrown whatever was left of the Earth Kingdom meant that there was no time they could waste. They hadn't heard of any attempts of retaliation by other nations but the leaders didn't know what Kuvira was doing, what she was capable of.

If Kuvira was imprisoning her own people she was a threat to everyone else. She'd nearly convinced Opal otherwise and the airbender was increasingly finding that she couldn't trust herself around Kuvira. The woman easily threw off Opal's understanding of reality; she tried her best to be objective around her but there was too much history there and trying to distrust Kuvira made Opal sound like she hated her. She couldn't find neutrality.

Kai hadn't been her partner two years ago when Kuvira had been appointed the interim president. Back then, she and Jinora had worked together; Opal felt like it had been a babysitting gig on Tenzin's part even though it was completely unnecessary. Opal had still been a little unsteady with her bending but it came to her easier than anything else ever had so she improved quickly and Jinora really was a master.

Together, they both did their best to fill the recently vacated role of the Avatar and try to bring balance to the world. Bolin had set out to do the same in the Earth Kingdom army and he quickly rose through the ranks. He didn't think it was relevant, and it probably wasn't, to mention that Kuvira was the one who had spotted him and promoted him to his position. While Opal didn't like soldiers she was happy for him; he told her he had really found his calling and she'd been proud.

When Opal first heard rumours about the army's treatment of those who opposed them, she didn't know that Kuvira was at the forefront. If she had she might've formed her views differently but she didn't. Opal Beifong knew the primary purpose of armies.

From studying books upon books since she was a child, and having been indoctrinated with her mother's own distaste for police and military personnel, she knew an army's purpose was to invade and kill before it was to aid and protect. When she found out that Interim President was on the frontlines, her title of "Great Uniter" spoken with reverence, Opal felt chills and for the first time ever, doubt.

Opal couldn't stop herself from overhearing gossip and the gossip didn't stop either. Even in the towns that had called out for Kuvira one could hear whispers of the ways that her army dealt with people who refused to deal with them. Opal wouldn't believe the rumours at first, she'd known the Great Uniter after all, but the rumours didn't abate the way rumours always did.

With the clear views her family held, Baatar Jr. aside, Opal had no reason not to doubt Kuvira. She didn't want to, and the few times she'd run into her brother and Kuvira the doubts would abate and she'd feel relieved. However, Opal could not ignore the way the world was changing, the way Kuvira was changing, the way her eyes got sharper and her face grew harder each time Opal ran into her.

When Kuvira had found Opal in Yi and put her hand on her shoulder she'd lured her into complacency so swiftly, just like she lured everybody. Kuvira would try to play nice but if it failed she would bully people into doing what she wanted. Opal knew this for a fact now but back in the beginning she'd only had a feeling, a sick, sinking feeling, that Kuvira had changed.

After a year of being Jinora's partner, the girl had gone back to the Air Temple to be with her family and oversee new airbenders and Kai had coincidentally been assigned to be Opal's new partner. Kai was quiet now, at the reigns of his bison. She sat up near the head with him, reading a book. They were both the kind of person that was comfortable with silence.

The book she was trying to read had been given to her by a villager they'd helped awhile back. There was no real room to pack books on Lefty and she'd finished all the ones she'd brought with her so she'd been savouring this one. However, it pained her too much to think right now so she'd given up and started reading it.

"Hey, Opal," Kai spoke up. She looked away from her book immediately. She was jumpy, and hadn't really been reading anyway.

"What is it?" she asked. She put down the book and waited for him to speak. He just looked at the horizon, considering his words, and she combed her hair through Lefty's fur and looked down at the patchwork fields beneath them.

"How are you and Bolin?" he asked after awhile. Opal said nothing. "It's just, it kind of looks like you guys fought. Badly."

"I guess we did," Opal said. Honestly, it was the last thing on her mind at that moment. And Kai knew that, of course he did, he was trying to distract her. She wished he could distract her with more pleasant things but that obviously wouldn't work. Her relationship with Bolin wasn't a life or death situation. It felt almost, safe, to think about them as opposed to the camps she'd seen. It was something a normal person would think about.

"I was just angry he didn't believe me when I said he shouldn't trust her," she shrugged. "I know we haven't been around each other for awhile, and I know he really thinks he's doing a good thing, but he isn't. You can't . . . trust Kuvira. She's just very good at making you."

"Is that why you're so mad at her?" Kai asked. Opal was silent for awhile. She watched the clouds beneath them. They'd slept on the ground last night, Lefty had needed it desperately, but Opal hadn't been able to sleep. Her whole sleeping schedule had crashed and burned so she'd stayed up all night, heart beating against her ribs, screaming at her for trying to sleep when innocent people were being put into camps. She was exhausted and could hardly think.

"How do you and Jinora do it," she asked Kai. "How do you trust each other?" She was cold up here, and she had a little headache, and talking to Kai was making her feel more lonely and lost then his silence had. "It's been three years. Sometimes I feel like I can't trust Bolin to make the right decisions because he can't or won't see the whole picture, and he doesn't trust what I have to say about Kuvira either."

Kai puffed out a sigh. "Well, for one," he said. "Me and Jinora are kinda on the same side. Also, trust isn't just something you just - give to another person. It's something you prove to each other, always. Jinora's always come through for me, and I've tried to do the same for her. I stopped stealing, I stopped lying. Trust isn't something that automatically comes when people love each other."

"Kai," Opal grinned all of a sudden. "Did you just say . . ." Kai's spine stiffened and he blushed.

"I didn't say anything!" he said loudly. "I, I meant, hypothetically, if two people were in love with each other -"

"Anyone I know?" she teased.

"No, I mean, Jinora and I -" he said. As if summoned, Jinora suddenly appeared floating over Lefty. Kai turned his neck, forgetting his backtracking, and grinned at his girlfriend.

"Jinora!" he cried. His arms tensed like he wanted to hug her but otherwise he didn't move; he just looked at her with a bright smile and held on Left's rains tightly. Opal got to her feet and walked over to the girl as Kai coaxed Lefty to hover instead of fly.

"Jinora," Opal said, forcing Jinora's attention onto her. "We have something to tell you about Kuvira."

"So you know?" Jinora asked tensely.

Opal's heart missed a beat. "Know what?" she asked.

"When I found out I had to tell you," she said. "Zaofu radioed us as soon as they found out."

"What about Zaofu?" Opal asked.

"Kuvira's travelling to Zaofu right now," Jinora said. "She wants them to join the Empire."

Opal didn't know what to think. Kai let go of Lefty's reins and grabbed her by the arm. "Thanks Jinora," he said to his girlfriend.

"I thought you'd want to know, Opal," Jinora said, sounding almost regretful.

"Thanks," Opal said.

"You wanted to tell me something?" the airbending master asked tentatively.

"It's not important," Kai assured her, keeping his grip on Opal's arm. Opal's mind was blank. "I'll see you soon." Jinora nodded. With a quick smile at her boyfriend and another concerned glance at Opal, Jinora's projection fizzled out of existence.

Kuvira had lied to her so viciously, and now she was going to invade Zaofu and bring down the domes that had been her job to protect. Opal blinked and Kai let go of her arm. She turned to him. "I have to go back," she said. "I have to - I'm sorry Kai - I -"

"Don't worry," Kai insisted, eyes wide. "Go be with your family. Take Lefty, I'll fly back."

She grabbed into a tight hug, his chin digging into her shoulder.

"Thank you," she said.

"Just make it there in time," he said as he hugged her back. "Kick her ass for me." She choked on a little laugh but she was terrified.

"Go back and tell Tenzin everything I saw," she ordered him. "If you see Jinora again, tell her." They all probably already knew about the camps and Kuvira's threat on Zaofu would look just as bad to the world leaders, but they couldn't leave it up to faith. There hadn't been time to tell Jinora anyway, Opal need to get back to Zaofu immediately.

Kuvira - Opal didn't believe that she'd be able to stop Kuvira from doing whatever she'd set her sights on, but Opal needed to be with her family right now. She was grateful that Kai immediately understood that and helped her. He took the money and she kept most of the supplies, she wouldn't have time to buy things. She hugged Kai one last time and he unclipped the wings of his suit. He dove off of his bison and flew away. Opal watched him fade into a dot beneath her before turning Lefty around, settling in for a few more sleepless nights.


End file.
